Sacrifice to RF Gods - (Chicken & Egg)

Thu Apr 25 22:18:01 EDT 1996

I am surprised. Sacrificing maidens went out because they ran out of maidens about
1981. Putting QSLs in the bottom of the hole is pointless. The ONLY way to appease
the gods of RF is to personally bleed on the new tower or antenna. Usually, this
will be accomplished in the course of building. But, if necessary, and you are so
skillful that you don't nick yourself, it MUST be done before the use of the tower
or antenna. I'm not superstitious, but something tells me if I don't, it's a flop.
Yes, I have bled ( accidentally or deliberately ) on every antenna and tower I have
put up in the last 40 years, with one exception. I tore down that dog the next day.

73, Ed
-------------------------------------
Name: ed sleight
E-mail: k4sb at avana.net
Date: 04/25/96
Time: 21:18:01

This message was sent by Chameleon 
-------------------------------------

>From David Clemons <dave at egh.com>  Thu Apr 25 21:15:34 1996
From: David Clemons <dave at egh.com> (David Clemons)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 16:15:34 -0400
Subject: Hints and kinks (cleaning aluminum yagi elements)
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9604251656.B10379-0100000 at newman.egh.com>

Hi,
        I thought I remembered hearing that in general you shouldn't be
cleaning aluminum elements (at least t=FBe high quality aluminum used
nowadays, I think it is T-6061?).  The logic was that this aluminum
oxidizes a little, then remains in a state of equilibrium.  Cleaning it
therefore would have no effect other than to cuase it to resume oxidizing
until it reached the equilibrium state again.  (A lot of work for
nothing.)   I'm not sure, but I think that strong chemical cleaners might
leave enough residue to throw the equilibrium way out of balance.  Last,
but not least, I think anything you coat these elemnts with will only=20
last a very short time.  I have a couple towers which rise above the tree=
=20
levels and I've noticed that I have never been able to keep paint on=20
metal above the tree tops for more than a few months.  The constant air=20
movement (with whatever it is carrying) has a real abrasive effect on=20
paints.  I am somewhere between 5 and 10 miles air distance from salt=20
water, but I don't believe the air conatins salt as I've never seen the=20
tell-tale yellow-greenish color of salt corrosion.
=09Perhaps there will be some who disagree with me on the aluminum=20
subject, so speak up is so.  I am not a chemistry major and I am willing=20
to be corrected on the subject of oxidation.

73, Dave Clemons K1VUT

>From David Clemons <dave at egh.com>  Thu Apr 25 21:25:06 1996
From: David Clemons <dave at egh.com> (David Clemons)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 16:25:06 -0400
Subject: Power, XMatch, and 72 ohm twn lead
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9604251636.A10473-0100000 at newman.egh.com>

Hi,
	N4ZR made some comments on using his 80 meter full wave loop on 
other bands.  His experiences are similar to mine.  For many years I had 
an 80 meter full wave delta loop, with the top point about 90 feet high.  
This was fed with 50 ohm coax and a matching transformer made from 72 ohm 
coax.  (The design came from an excellent article in Oct 1984 QST by 
Doug DeMaw, W1FB).  A couple years ago, one the elements on my Cushcraft 
40 meter yagi fell off.  I wanted to operate on the ARRL DX Contest, so I 
hung a 40 meter delta loop up at 70 feet (same design as the 80 meter loop).
However, I accidently found out that the 80 meter loop loaded up on 40 
under 2:1 and actually outperformed the 40 meter loop on 40!  If it had 
been simply a case of the 80m loop loading well, I might have blamed it 
on the 200 or so feet of coax.  However, it actually performed better.  
Was I surprised?  Yes.  Did I argue with the results?  Not a chance.

73, Dave Clemons K1VUT

>From John R. Moore" <jrmoore at jaxnet.com  Thu Apr 25 22:09:40 1996
From: John R. Moore" <jrmoore at jaxnet.com (John R. Moore)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 17:09:40 -0400
Subject: Garbage on the reflector
Message-ID: <317FEA14.1E8D at pop.jaxnet.com>

I have watched with amazement the amount of garbage messages that are put on this
reflector.  Yet when an individual put a message on here about a new web site about
his business all the policemen were out in force flaming him for daring to interfere
with their trival messages such as the silly thread that is taking up half of the
time on this reflector now about sacrificing to the RF gods.  I grant you he knew
that Trey didnt like the message but at least it had some value.  This trash going
on now doesnt even bring a snicker and for sure has no value as far as DX goes.
So come on all you reflector Cops now is your chance.
John W5HUQ

>From snace at tdrss.wsc.nasa.gov (Steve Nace)  Thu Apr 25 22:18:52 1996
From: snace at tdrss.wsc.nasa.gov (Steve Nace) (Steve Nace)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 14:18:52 -0700
Subject: Average Solar Flux Data - 20 yr plot
Message-ID: <v01510100ada59c4f0c36@[192.77.86.212]>

A good plot of average sloar flux was found at:

http://www.pics.com/trs/graph4.htm

Other solar data also at this site.

de Hose  KN5H

>From Dale L. Martin" <kg5u at hal-pc.org  Fri Apr 26 00:14:23 1996
From: Dale L. Martin" <kg5u at hal-pc.org (Dale L. Martin)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 17:14:23 -0600
Subject: Texas QSO Party NA-9 Template
Message-ID: <199604252214.RAA00821 at hal-pc.org>

Attached is a template created by KZ8E to use with NA-9 in the Texas 
QSO Party (don't ask me what it does--I don't yet have NA-9!).

KZ8E, Earl, can be reached at kz8e at wt.net, if you have questions.

73 and see you from the armadillo trail (or, at least, the 
armadillo-strewn highways and byways of the lone start state),

Dale Martin, KG5U
Houston, Texas
http://www.hal-pc.org/~kg5u

>From Dale L. Martin" <kg5u at hal-pc.org  Fri Apr 26 00:16:17 1996
From: Dale L. Martin" <kg5u at hal-pc.org (Dale L. Martin)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 17:16:17 -0600
Subject: Texas QSO Party NA-9 Template, part 2
Message-ID: <199604252216.RAA01033 at hal-pc.org>

Rats! My first posting to CQ-Contest and I blew it.  

Here's the attachment!

Dale Martin, KG5U
Houston, Texas
http://www.hal-pc.org/~kg5u

>From Dale L. Martin" <kg5u at hal-pc.org  Fri Apr 26 00:16:17 1996
From: Dale L. Martin" <kg5u at hal-pc.org (Dale L. Martin)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 17:16:17 -0600
Subject: Texas QSO Party NA-9 Template, part 2
Message-ID: <199604252215.RAA01028 at hal-pc.org>

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>From DFREY at maila.harris.com (DFREY)  Thu Apr 25 22:15:14 1996
From: DFREY at maila.harris.com (DFREY) (DFREY)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 17:15:14 -0400
Subject: No subject
Message-ID: <17ffc730 at maila.harris.com>

     >...article in QST(?) about cleaning aluminum elements. ...quick
     >way to clean elements on a yagi before putting it back 
     >together. Also how about cleaning stranded copper wire that has 
     >weathered.

     Bill, 

     Use 000 steel wool on the lapped parts of the beam before applying the 
     penetrox or whatever goo you use on Al-to-Al joints.  It's quick, 
     cheap and easy.  Alcohol won't touch aluminum oxide, a very 
     nonreactive, tough, and noncinducting substance. Unless you have a 
     neatness fetish, don't worry about cleaning the parts of the beam 
     which are not directly touching another.  The thickness of the AlO3 
     layer is very thin, will just reform in a few weeks anyway, and is the 
     durable protective coating which permits aluminum elements to resist 
     the elements of nature for decades.

     Copper oxide, on the other hand, is a relatively good conductor not 
     worth your time to remove.  Dull black wire hides better than shiny 
     copper anyway, no performance hit.  If the copper has bright green 
     corrosion, find out why.  It indicates something other than normal 
     atmospheric corrosion process unless you live beside a smelter where 
     there is high sulphur content.

     Dick,   K4XU

>From Spike Lazar <slazar19 at sgi.net>  Thu Apr 25 23:55:28 1996
From: Spike Lazar <slazar19 at sgi.net> (Spike Lazar)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 18:55:28 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Garbage on the reflector
Message-ID: <199604252255.SAA02256 at orion.bv.sgi.net>

>W5HUQ At 05:09 PM 4/25/96 -0400, you wrote:
>
>I have watched with amazement the amount of garbage messages that
>are put on this reflector. This trash going on now doesnt even bring
>a snicker. So come on all you reflector Cops now is your chance.
>John W5HUQ

            Give this guy a Jeffrey Dahmer cookbook!

Sincerly yours,
dr. Bafoofnik

p.s., for a clean sweep, bury a VY1JA card, It really does works!

>From DFREY at maila.harris.com (DFREY)  Thu Apr 25 22:15:14 1996
From: DFREY at maila.harris.com (DFREY) (DFREY)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 17:15:14 -0400
Subject: No subject
Message-ID: <17ffc730 at maila.harris.com>

     >...article in QST(?) about cleaning aluminum elements. ...quick
     >way to clean elements on a yagi before putting it back 
     >together. Also how about cleaning stranded copper wire that has 
     >weathered.

     Bill, 

     Use 000 steel wool on the lapped parts of the beam before applying the 
     penetrox or whatever goo you use on Al-to-Al joints.  It's quick, 
     cheap and easy.  Alcohol won't touch aluminum oxide, a very 
     nonreactive, tough, and noncinducting substance. Unless you have a 
     neatness fetish, don't worry about cleaning the parts of the beam 
     which are not directly touching another.  The thickness of the AlO3 
     layer is very thin, will just reform in a few weeks anyway, and is the 
     durable protective coating which permits aluminum elements to resist 
     the elements of nature for decades.

     Copper oxide, on the other hand, is a relatively good conductor not 
     worth your time to remove.  Dull black wire hides better than shiny 
     copper anyway, no performance hit.  If the copper has bright green 
     corrosion, find out why.  It indicates something other than normal 
     atmospheric corrosion process unless you live beside a smelter where 
     there is high sulphur content.

     Dick,   K4XU